People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria

Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

Abdelhamis Ibn Badis University of Mostaganem

Faculty of Letters and Languages

Department of English

Students’ Perceptions towards the Role of the Context in Solving Problems of

Misunderstanding when Translating Polysemous Words from English to Arabic

Case of Second Year Master Students of English Language And Linguistics At

Abdelhamid Ibn Badis University of Mostaganem

Prepared by: Mohammedi Tounsia

Supervised by: Dr. Neddar Bel Abbes

Examined by:

- Dr. S. Hamerlain M.C.A Chairwoman University of Mostaganem

- Ms. F. Hairech M.A.A Examiner University of Mostaganem

2016/2017
 Acknowledgments

I would like to express my thanks to my teacher and supervisor Dr.

Neddar Bel Abbes, for his help, guidance, suggestions, understanding and

valuable comments on my memoire. Special thanks to the board of examiners

for their time and effort. Also, a special thanks to my colleagues for their

cooperation in this modest work.

I
 Dedications

I dedicate this work to:

- My dear parents

- My brother and sisters

All my friends without exception.

ii
 Abstract

In this final memoire, we try to explore second year master degree students’

knowledge about the importance of context when translating polysemous words from

English to Arabic. The objective of this work is to confirm two hypotheses: if second year

English Master degree learners of English Language and Linguistics at Abd Elhamid Ibn

Badis university consider the context, they will choose the right meaning of polysemous

words; and if the learners do know the different meanings of the polysemic word, they will

translate it effectively in various contexts. A questionnaire has been designed to find out if

our hypotheses are valid or not, it was presented to a random group of second year master

degree students. The results show that these students know exactly what role the ‘context’

plays during the translation process. Moreover, it proves that knowing the different

meanings of a polysemic word gives the students the opportunity to be more accurate in

their translation. Finally, some helpful pedagogical recommendations are stated to increase

students’ capacities in translation.

III
 Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ………………………..………………….………….……….………..I

Dedications........................................................................................................................... II

Abstract............................................................................................................................... III

Table of Contents………………………………………………………..……………..…IV

List of Tables .................................................................................................................... VII

List of Figures .................................................................................................................. VIII

Introduction..........................................................................................................................1

Statement of the Problem …..…………...…….....................................................................1

Aims of the Study ………...……………………………………………………………..…1

Research Questions ………….…………………………………………………………......1

Hypotheses ……..…………………………………………….…….....................................1

Research tools ......………………………………………………………………………….2

Subjects ………………………………….…………………………..…………………..…2

Organization of the Thesis ………….…………………………………………...…………2

Chapter One: An Overview On Context and Translation

Section One: The Notion of Context…………………………………...……...………….4

Introduction………………………………………………………..………………………4

1.1. The definition Context ..................................................................................................4

1.2. The role of context…………………………………………………….……………….7

Section Two : Translation………………………………………………………...……....8

1.3.Definition of Translation………………………………………………...………….…..8

1.4. Sorts of Translation……………………………………………...…………………..…9

1.4.1. Literary Translation …………………………………………...……………………10

1.4.2. Technical Translation……………………………………...………………………..10

IV
 Table of Contents

1.4.3. Informative translation …………………………………………...…………..…….11

1.5. Issues of Translation……………………………………………………………...…..11

1.5.1. Grammatical Issues………………………………….……………………………...12

1.5.2. Lexical Issues……………………………………………………….…………..…..12

1.5.3. Elaborate Issues………………………………………………….………………….13

1.6. The Qualities of a Good Translator………………………………………………...…13

1.6.1 Tips for translators’ attention………………………………………………………..14

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………..….16

Chapter Two: Semantic and Polysemy

Introduction…………………………………………………………...………………….17

2.1.Definition of Semantics………………………………………………………………..17

2.1.1 Lexical Structure in Semantics………………………………………………………18

2.1.1.1. Polysemy …………………………………………………………………………18

2.1.1.2. Notion of Polysemy in Arabic …………………………………….…………...…19

2.1.1.3. Homonymy ……………………………………………………………….………20

2.1.1.4. The distinction between Polysemy vs. Homonymy…….……………………...…20

2.1.1.5. Translation and Polysemy………………………………………….……….…….22

2.1.1.6. Lexical Ambiguity and Polysemy…………………………………..………….…24

1.3. The role of bilingual dictionaries………………………………………..……………26

Conclusion…………………………………………………………..……………………26

Chapter Theree: Data Analysis

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………....28

3.1. The Sample …………………………………………………………………………...28

3.2. Research Tools ……………………………………………………………………….28

3.2.1. The Questionnaire ………………………………………………………………….28

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 Table of Contents

3.2.1.1. Description of the Questionnaire………………………….………………………28

3.2.1.2. Analysis…………………………………………………….……………………..29

3.3. Summary of the Findings…………………………………………………………..…38

Conclusion ………………………………………………………….……………………39

General Conclusion…………………………………………………………….………..40

Bibliography…………………………………………………………………..………….42

Appendix: Questionnaire…………………………..……………………………………45

VI
 List of Tables

Table 1: Students’ awareness about Context…………………………………………...…29

Table 2: Students’ use of the context in translation………………………………………30

Table 3: students’ translation of the sentence…………………………….………………31

Table 4: student’s practice of translation………………………………………………….32

Table 5: Students’ Difficulties in Translation……………………………………….……32

Table 6: Students’ problems during translation……………………………..……………33

Table 7: students’ level in translation……………………………………………….……34

Table 8: Student’s relation with polysemy…………………………………………..……35

Table 9: Using the Dictionary for Translating Polysemous Words………………………36

Table 10: Students’ ways of translating polysemous words…………………………...…37

VII
 List of Figures

Figure 1: Students’ awareness about Context……………………………..……………29

Figure 2: Students’ use of the context in translation……………………….……….…..30

Figure 3: students’ translation of the sentence…………………………..………….…..31

Figure 4: student’s practice of translation…………………………………..…….…….32

Figure 5: Students’ Difficulties in Translation…………………………….…………....33

Figure 6: Students’ problems during translation……………………….……….………34

Figure 7: Students’ level in translation……………………………..…….…………….35

Figure 8: Student’s relation with polysemy…………………………….……………....36

Figure 9: Using the Dictionary for Translating Polysemous Words……….………..…37

Figure 10: Students’ way of translating polysemous words…………….…………..….38

VIII
 General introduction

Statement of the Problem

Learners face many problems when translating from English to Arabic. One of the

most occuring problems happens at the lexical level. Words with several meanings raise

ambiguity when used in idioms, synonymy, homonymy, and polysemy. Polysemy, known

as being a liguistic phenomenon, deals with problems that occur when words are

decontextualised or put with the monosemous words category.

Aims of the Study

In this research work, the light spot is put on the student’s selection of polysemous

words during their translation work. The next aim is to find the best ending to these

problems that learners may deal with as a result of some misunderstanding.

Research Questions

The primary questions that are raised are:

1- What are the most adequate techniques for students to end up with a good

translaion of polysemous words from English to Arabic?

2- Is the context taken into consideration when students select the equivalent words in

Arabic of English polysemoys words ?

Hypotheses

In this study, we aim at examining if the following hypotheses are valid:

1
 General introduction

1- If second year English Master degree learners of English language and linguistics

at Abd Elhamid Ibn Badis university consider the context, they will choose the

right meaning of polysemous words.

2- If the learners do know the different senses of the polysemic word, they will

decipher it effectively in various settings.

Research Tools

A questionnaire was designed to find out if our hypotheses are valid or not. We

picked up a random group of second year Master degree learners of English language and

linguistics at Abd Elhamid Ibn Badis University and we gave them the questionnaire.

Subjects

We have randomly selected the second year Master degree learners of English

language and linguistics at Abd Elhamid Ibn Badis University since they have already

dealt with polysemy and have practised translation for a period of more than four years ,

that is to state, they have obtained the standards of interpretation and have seen words in

various types of settings with various types of words.

Organization of the Thesis

The thesis is divided into three chapters: Two theoretical and one practical. The

first chapter is a kind of an overview about translation and context; it consists of two major

sections. The first section is about the role of context, where we dealt with the importance

of context in selecting the correct meanings of words; giving out its various definitions of

context proposed by different scholars. The second section consists of the definition of

translation and its different type and then ending with some issues that face translators and

some qualities of good translators

2
 General introduction

The second chapter is devoted to semantics and polysemy. we will discuss a few

researchers' perspectives concerning both polysemy and semantics; there is distinction

between polysemy and homonymy considered as the main cause of lexical ambiguity. This

chapter discus some problems that are caused by polysemy and the last point will be about

the advantages of the bilingual dictionary.

The third chapter is practical. It is concerned with analysis of the results obtained.

The questionnaire is addressed to a sample of 25 students. The purpose behind this

questionnaire is knowing whether students have an idea about the role of context in

translating polysemous words and also to valid the research hypothesis.

3
Chapter One: An Overview On Context and Translation:

Introduction

This chapter plans to give a concise overview on context and translation, this chapter is

divided into two major sections. The first section is about the role of context and its effect on

choosing the correct meaning of polysemous words, giving out its various definitions, concerning

the second section, it provides information about translation, begins with its various definitions,

and presents the different sorts of translation which includes literal, informative and technical one,

It additionally deals with the impediments and issues that interpreters and the student may face

during the translation process, among which are the grammatical issues. Finally the chapter ends up

with some qualities of good translators.

Section One: The Notion of Context

1.1. The definition of Context

The context has been defined in deferent ways, and the most common point

between the definitions that are given to the context is that it disambiguates between

possible meanings. In fact context is flexible, it requires the connexion between the

speaker and the hearer in particular situation, and this relationship must not necessarily be

purely linguistic.

George Yule (2002) also took the notion of context into consideration and he stated

that “Context is the physical environment in which a word is used” (Yule, 2000, p.128). It

means that the context is where the action is happened and when. "Context is typically the

location, identity and state of people, groups, and computational and physical

objects" (Dey et al., 2001, p.97). He supported his idea by saying that “Context is any

information useful to characterize the state of individual entries and the relationship among

them” ( Dey et al., 2001, p.97).

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Chapter One: An Overview On Context and Translation:

According to Dey (2001), the context is any acquired fact that describes an entity.

This entity is referred to “any person, place, or object that is considered relevant to the

interaction be-tween the user and the application, including the user and the applications

them-selves” (Dey, 2001, p.4).

Numerous language specialists described the context from various perspectives as

per their own particular fields with a specific end goal to bolster their own thoughts, and

hypotheses.

Linguists give diverse definitions to the term context as per their hypotheses and

researches. Halliday (1999) sees that context in some kind of condition, it is what is

circumventing where language is utilized, Halliday (ibid) tries to give a definition to the

term . He demonstrates that the term is utilized to allude to what is before and after a word

or a text. Where he stated that “the context meant the accompanying text, the wording that

surrounds what is under attention” (Halliday, 1999, p.3). The idea of context used to allude

just to the language however, and just in current linguistics that the term gets significance,

in present day semantics has a connection with the environment in which the language is

utilized (ibid) .

Present day linguistics sets up the utilization of the context out of language, by

making another term „„co-text‟‟. He expresses that Catford who requested an alternate idea

to allude to the verbal environment to supplant the thought of context which is utilized to

allude to the non-verbal environment (ibid).

Cook (1999) contemplated also the concept of “context” when he concentrated on

the connection between discourse and literature. According to him, context is only a type

of information the word. Cook (ibid) expressed that the term “context” can be utilized as a

part of a wide and limited sense. In the limited sense, context alludes to elements outside

the content under consideration. In the wide sense, context alludes to learning of these

4
Chapter One: An Overview On Context and Translation:

elements and to information of different parts of the content under consideration, once in a

while alluded to as “co-text” (cook, 1999, p24).

Widdowson concentrated his research on language meaning. He characterizes context as

those parts of the situation of real language use which are taken as important to

significance (2000). He additionally called attention to, "in other word, context is a

schematic construct the achievement of pragmatic meaning is a matter of matching up the

linguistic elements of the code with the schematic elements of the context” (Widdowson,

2000, p.126). Griffiths (2006) stated a very expressive definition of the context, according

to him “Context facilitates disambiguation (between the „final‟ and „previous‟ meanings

of last) and helps establish what things are referred to when the second individual in

each scenario uses the expressions” ( 2006, p.7).

To Griffith, the context doesn‟t belong to Semantics but to Pragmatics. Where he

said that,” If you are dealing with meaning and there is no context to consider, then you are

doing semantics, but if there is a context to be brought into consideration, then you

are engaged in pragmatics” (Griffith, 2006, p.6).

Palmer states that some semanticists ask to omit the context from Semantics “we

have already noticed that there are linguists who, explicitly or implicitly, exclude context

from the study of semantics” (palmer, 1976, p.43-44), because they believe that ambiguity

and anomaly can be made clear without the context since the meaning is obvious to the

language users, in addition, it is independent from any context (ibid). The following two

sentences present anomaly and ambiguity;

1."My typewriter was bad intentions” (Palmer, 1976, p.45).

2." John was looking for the glasses” (ibid).

He recognises that the first sentence is abnormal and the second in unclear; So, that

to find the irregularity and the abnormality, we have to hold the suitable information about

5
Chapter One: An Overview On Context and Translation:

type-writers and kinds of glasses (ibid, 45).In other words, there is a demand for context to

acknowledge both irregularity and abnormality problems as parts of Semantics.

1.2. The role of context

The context often helps to eliminate problems of misconception or uncertainty and

to disambiguate between potential meanings. According to l, Lewis Thomas (1974, p. 94)

wrote that "ambiguity seems to be an essential, indispensable element for the transfer of

information from one place to another by words, where matters of real importance are

concerned."

The role of the context is in making and assessing meaning and comprehension. It

is important to solve any problems of misunderstanding. We often use the context both

explicitly and implicitly in most all that we do with languages. Moreover, Context plays a

crucial role, not only in disambiguity, but also in Translation for instance; we cannot

translate without relying on context.

The context of a particular conception or occasion is the general situation that

identifies with it, and which helps it to be clear (Collins Co-build Dictionary, 1995).

Ambiguity alludes to any word, expression, sentence or group of sentences with several

meanings. There are a lot of sorts of ambiguities, for instance, Lexical equivocalness is

generally brought about by homonymy and polysemy. For example, these two words, see

and sea, are altogether articulated as /si:/, but they are different in meaning.

We typically use such words like she, he, you, this, that, and so forth to avoid

problems of repetition and to supply an equivalent adverbial phrase of time and place. In

this manner, the context helps to guess the interpretation of such words and to what they

refer. The context uncovers how the terms are being utilized, that is its part in the specific

context.

6
Chapter One: An Overview On Context and Translation:

Section Two: Translation

1.3. Definition of Translation

Translation is a process that has a lot of features. It helps people to exchange ideas and

equipment that cannot be dispensed with in our daily life. Translation carries several

meanings: it is a pragmatic movement that includes transforming one dialect into another;

this implies that translation carries a meaning from one language to another. It is an effort

of finding equivalent meaning of a text into the second language.

Translation has turned into the concentration of the present studies; it aims at

converting the meaning of a given linguistic discourse from one language to another more

than the words of the source language. Translation is a process consisting in "reproducing

in the receptor language the closest natural equivalent of the source-language message,

first in meaning and secondly in style" (Nida & Taber, 1969, p. 12). Nida (1981, p.2)

added, “Translation means communication because it has three essential elements to form

a process of communication. The three essential elements are source, message, and

receptor, and these elements must be found in all communication activities”. Translation is

seen as a tool of communication because it has some communicative features like, the

source, the message and the receptor.

Translation is characterized by researchers from multiple points of view. Yowelly

and Lataiwish (2000), describe translation as a term of replacing a text with another text in

two different languages. Similarly, Catford(1965) concentrates on the translation of text.

He says that translation is an operation of replacing a text in one language into another

language (ibid.). Where he characterizes translation as "the replacement of textual material

in one language (SL) by equivalent textual material in another language (TL)" (Catford,

1965, p.20). In this way, both researchers focus on the translation of text.

7
Chapter One: An Overview On Context and Translation:

For example the two following English sentences with their equivalents in Arabic:

1) I have been waiting for long time.

‫لقد كنت في االنتظار لفترة طويلة‬

2) That girl is sick

‫تلك الفتاة مريضة‬

There are different researchers who concentrate on the translation of meaning, such

as, Ghazala (1995), he expresses that the only thing will be deciphered is meaning.

Ghazala's definition focuses on the notion of meaning as an essential component in

translation.

Abdallah (2002) claimed that Translation issues can be separated into linguistic

issues and cultural issues: the linguistic issues incorporate grammatical differences, lexical

ambiguity and meaning ambiguity; the cultural issues allude to various situational features.

Our main concern here is lexical ambiguity because this research is dealing with words;

particularly polysemous as being a type of those words that create ambiguity in meaning.

1.4. Sorts of translation

Translation is considered as a tool of interlingual communication; it has been

invented new terms and expressions to describe different services of translation that

doesn‟t have any relation with the usual categories like machine translation or human

translation, this because of the great evolution that occurs in the world of the translation.

The concept of translation gives translator various means of analysis, which enable him to

be aware of what to pick from the original text, what type of data he must carry in TT, and

what he should do to achieve his purpose. The process of translation made of two different

mental processes which are understanding and verbalisation. In very first one the translator

8
Chapter One: An Overview On Context and Translation:

get the meaning of what have been said in ST which enable him to develop this idea into

TT.( Г.М. Кузенко,2008)

Any sort of translation has a great influence on the translation process, there are a

lot of types of translation , and each type depend on the communicative function of the

source language, so that we can make distinction between literary and informative

translation and between oral and written one. The concept of the translation becomes

unlimited and varied one. It exists various methods and several theories about translation in

more than one or two types of translation including literary translation, Informative

translation, and technical translation. (ibid).

1.4.1. Literary Translation

It is considered as the most complicated kind of translation it requires a capable

translator because it deals with poems, novels and sometimes plays, he must be proficient

in transmitting the right feelings and emotions. It “deals with literary texts, i.e. works of

fiction or poetry whose main function is to make an emotional or aesthetic impression

upon the reader. Their communicative value depends, first and foremost, on their artistic

quality and the translator‟s primary task is to reproduce this quality in translation.” ( Г.М.

Кузенко, 2008, p.9). In addition to poetry and plays there are Polysemic words which

cause problems in their translation because behind each word or a phrase, there is number

of connotations where the writer finds some difficulties in transmitting the message if the

source text.

1.4.2. Technical Translation

In this type, the translator must master the technical terms and should have a

sufficient understanding about the subject that he is dealing with, in order to transmit the

correct sense and give the right description of the subject. The translator has to respect the

01
Chapter One: An Overview On Context and Translation:

stylistic requirements of scientific and technical materials to make the text more clear and

acceptable to the specialists (ibid). So, technical translation needs a sufficient knowledge

of a specific terminology used in the domain originating the text, such as mechanics,

electronics, and industrial texts in general. He added that “some types of texts can be

identified not so much by their positive distinctive features as by the difference in their

functional characteristics in the two languages”(ibid).

1.4.3. Informative translation

The primary aim behind this kind of translation is to transmit a specific ideas or

thoughts, to inform the readers. But sometimes the translation of the source text is

considered as literary or informative translation because of its length. It is consists of some

elements informative character. Informative translation may contain a few components

gone for accomplishing an aesthetic impact (ibid). The main purpose of this type is to

transfer information, ideas, and event to tell people and inform them. “Literary works are

known to fall into a number of genres. Literary translations may be subdivided in the same

way, as each genre calls for a specific arrangement and makes use of specific artistic

means to impress the reader”( Г.М. Кузенко, 2008, p.9)

1.5. Issues of Translation

Professionals strive to find solutions to translation problems that‟s why they work

hard to find the reasons that could be the result of these issues. According to Palumbo

(2009) the main issue of the translation can be define in this simple question “what makes

a text difficult to translate” (palumbo, 2009, p.36). Having background knowledge of

particulars languages this doesn‟t mean how to decipher.

00
Chapter One: An Overview On Context and Translation:

Differences in the source and the target languages is the principle problem that

cause problems in the translation process especially in the domain of culture, this pushes

the translator to use some tools to check the correct meaning of words, in addition to the

problems of ambiguity, we find the grammatical problem which cause some difficulties to

the translation because there are some complicated grammatical structure that are poorly

understood, Ghazala (1995) states that these issues are mainly originated from lexical and

structural differences that are found between different languages.

1.5.1. Grammatical Issues

According to Ghazala (1995), The English grammar has different tenses which do

not exist in the Arabic language, because English and Arabic belong to two different

language families. For instance there is no present perfect tense in the Arabic language.

Because the present perfect has a present connotation, which might be lost when translated

in the past tense in Arabic. For example. For example, “we have fought against this

injustice.” It is translated as follows: “‫الظلم‬ ‫”حاربنا ضد هذا‬ but it is preferable to be

translated as follows: “‫”نحارب ضد هذا الظلم‬, because the speaker points at the continuing

present

1.5.2. Lexical Issues

Translation becomes a complicated process because of the Lexical differences

between English and Arabic. As Ghazala (1995) states, the translators may find some

difficulties in deciphering some keys words, because he is unfamiliar with such words.

Sometimes the translator is not able to choose the right terms because he may not

encounter the equivalent meaning this because of synonymy, polysemy or homonymy.

01
Chapter One: An Overview On Context and Translation:

Any word cannot have meaning without due regard to the specific context in which it is

actualized. As it is mentioned before the principal lexical problems that the translator may

encounter are:

a. Polysemy and monosemy: translators cannot make the difference between the two

and they give one meaning in all cases.

b. Synonymy: Translators cannot distinguish between some words that have the same

meanings because they could not replace each other.

1.5.3. Elaborate Issues

Style is a critical piece of significance which may bring about issues in

interpretation in the event that it is not contemplated (Ghazala, 1995). The expressive

issues that may confront interpreters are at the level of:

a. Ambiguity: It represents a great issue in interpretation. The interpreter can't get the

expected implications in light of the style of vagueness. This prompts the unsettling

influence of the genuine message of the source content (ibid).

b. Formality: Since every dialect has its degrees of convention, the interpreter may

confront issues due to absence of mindfulness about formal and casual dialect.

1.6. The Qualities of a Good Translator

A decent translator is the one who has a background knowledge of the source and

the target language as well, students have to be familiar with more than one genres in both

languages, that is to say that they have to read newspapers, magazines and especially

modern literature, etc. As indicated by Shahvali (1997), preparing students to confront the

advancements in the field using theoretical learning and practical skills abilities is not

02
Chapter One: An Overview On Context and Translation:

sufficient. There is a requirement for ability to adjust; in this manner, it is important to

teach the students how to build up their relevant mental, communication, and arranging

abilities. Specific reading also contribute in improving different skills, and also give them

ideas where they will apply them during translating.

The translator's task is to make conditions under which the source language writer

and the target language reader can interface with each other (Lotfipour, 1985). Preparing

translators is a critical task which must to be given a high priority. Translators are the

operators for exchanging messages from one language to another, while preserving the

underlying cultural and discoursal thoughts and qualities (Azabdaftary, 1997).

A decent translator ought to be acquainted with the culture, traditions, and social

settings of the source and target language speakers. He should also be familiar with

different registers, styles of speaking, and social stratification of both languages. In this

way, the translator will transmit not only the meaning of the target text, he will also

transmit the culture of the target readers, and this this helps the target readers to understand

and decode the deciphered text.

This socio-cultural knowledge can improve the quality of the students' translations

to a great extent. According to Hatim and Mason (1990), taking the socio-cultural context

into consideration while translating is the only way to have a successful translation. The

social context in translating a text is probably more important than its genre. Subsequently,

it is essential to judge interpreting movement just within a social context.

1.6.1 Tips for translators’ attention

Robinson (1997, p.49) has recommended that the translator is a learner and he

proposes that "translation is an intelligent activity involving complex processes of

conscious and unconscious learning."

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Chapter One: An Overview On Context and Translation:

There are a lot of critics that leads the translator to be a specialist, the very first and

important thing is „reading‟ because receptive skills should be developed before the

productive ones i.e. The translator must have an interior knowledge in order to be creative,

and this enhances the translators‟ language instinct and makes them prepared for real

interpreting. Translators must be passionate about their translation work. They should use

different methods and efforts to convey the right message of the source language.

The actual translator does not need to check to the meaning of terms with the help of

dictionaries to find their adequate meaning in the target language, but he must respect the

rules and the style of the source language to convey the real meaning. The deciphered

version must be conveyed in a way that sounds regular and natural, it must be meaningful

to the target reader. The translator must have the capacity to comprehend the greater part

of written works without the guide of a lexicon.

According to Ainon Muhammad (1979), a good translator must be a subject

specialist, master the source language, better the target language, and he must have

knowledge of different translation theories and practice. For instance if the translator want

to tackle a scientific subject, he must receive science training. Robinson (1997, p.51)

proposes that "translation is an intelligent activity, requiring creative problem-solving in

novel, textual, social, and cultural conditions." The cognitive information is important in

the process of translation and the translation must be aware of its importance.

Sager (1994) proposes that the translator must assess, modify, adjust and then he can show

and publish. Just like a written work, translating too includes these stages. According to

Smith-Worthington and Jefferson (2005) some planning are included during the process of

translation like (prewriting, shaping, researching), then it comes the (proofreading and

publishing).

04
Chapter One: An Overview On Context and Translation:

Conclusion

Translation plays a crucial role in transmitting meanings, it facilitates

communication between people and it helps in understanding different languages, and also

in exchanging knowledge between two different cultures, but the translator should be sure

that he has chosen the adequate meaning, in this case the only thing that will be helpful is

the „context‟, because he may encounter obstacles and issues in his translation especially

with words that have more than one meaning .So, the main concern of this phenomenon is

disambiguate „meanings‟. The context helps students to transmit actual message of the

source language into the target language. Moreover, the translation do not require to

transmit the meaning, emotions and feelings must also be reproduced.

05
Chapter Two: Semantics and Polysemy

Introduction

This chapter will be devoted for polysemy, we will discuss a few researchers'

perspectives concerning both polysemy and semantics, we will provide some linguists

„definition about homonymy and it relation with polysemy which are considered as the

main cause of lexical ambiguity, then we move to talk about the relation between

translation and polysemy. Polysemy causes some issues to translation, because it is

considered as sorts of ambiguity, moreover, the polysemy is a phenomenon that we can

find in each language. finally, the last point will be about the advantages of the bilingual

dictionary.

2.1. Definition of Semantics

The notion of semantics is described by various linguists, and the most frequent

definition is the study of meaning (Lyons (1984). According to Palmer (1976, p.1)

“semantics is the technical term used to refer to the study of meaning”. He added that

„semantics‟ is a new term added the English language (ibid). Yule (1985, p.112) describes

semantics as “the study of the meaning of words, phrases and sentences». The interest is in

meaning more than anything else (ibid). Langacker (1987, p.12) for example, talks about

the importance of meaning in all linguistics aspects, According to him:

Meaning is what language is all about; the analyst who ignores it to concentrate

solely on matters of form severely impoverishes the natural and necessary subject

matter of the discipline and ultimately distorts the character of the phenomena

described.

Yule (1996, p, 114) brings another view to the term of semantics where he focuses

on the actual meaning of the word rather than what the speaker means:

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Chapter Two: Semantics and Polysemy

Semantics is the study of the meaning of words, phrases and sentences. In semantic

analysis, there is always an attempt to focus on what the words conventionally

mean, rather than on what a speaker might want the words to mean on a particular

occasion. This technical approach to meaning emphasizes the objective and the

general. It avoids the subjective and the local. Linguistic semantics deals with the

conventional meaning conveyed by the use of words and sentences of a language.

As the meaning is the main concerns of semantics the interest is in “the relation

between linguistic units, such as words and sentences, and the world” (Jaszczolt, 2002,

p.2). The study of semantics argue that each words, phrases or expressions carry a certain

meaning and these words informs us about different events that occurs in the actual world.

“Everything in language conspires to convey meaning” (Wierzbicka, 1988, p.1).

2.1.1 Lexical Structure in Semantics

There is always certain confusion between the concept of polysemy and homonymy

this causes some problems of meaning, many researchers and linguists try to differentiate

between them. And this relies on the study of relations among the meanings.

2.1.1.1. Polysemy

Polysemy is one of the most important vital of modern linguistic semantics,

According to Yule (1996), it can be defined as a written or spoken words that have more

than one meaning which are all connected by prolongation. That is to say that meanings

are related to each other, For instance the word „head‟ is allude to the organ on top of

human body, on top of any glass of beer or on top of any organisation or department (ibid).

“Not only do different words have different meanings; it is also the case that the same

71
Chapter Two: Semantics and Polysemy

word may have a set of different meanings. This is polysemy; such a word is polysemic”

(Palmer, 1976, p,100).

According to Taylor (1989, p.99), “Polysemy is the association of two or more

related senses with a single linguistic form”, it means the ability of one word to have

several meanings. The ability to name the different objects with the same name preserving

common features this is called polysemy (Arnold 1986). It means the ability of words to

have more than one meaning.

Meaning system changes through time, so that new terms added to the language.

“Synchronic pattern of meanings surrounding a word, which is itself the ever changing

result of semantic change” (Cuyckens, Zawada, 2001, p.85). Kennedy (2002, p.67)

explains that polysemy is the reality that: “some words may have more than one meaning

(or even many).” So polysemy is that phenomenon which “means that one word can have

more than one sense” Ullman (1957, p.117).

2.1.1.2. Notion of Polysemy in Arabic

Polysemy is a phenomenon that we can find in each language, Middle Easterner

analysts and etymology specialists have explored the thought of polysemy. This linguistic

marvel exists even in the Arabic language it is refered to as „‫„ ‟المشترك اللفظي‬ishtirak lafdi.‟

They additionally trust that it is a single word with various implications. Besides,

Polysemy exists in various languages not just in Arabic and English. The accompanying

cases could show the presence of polysemous words in both Arabic and English; in English

word we find the three meanings illustrated with „head‟ it can means “the object on top of

your body, on top of a glass of beer, on top of a company or department” (Yule, 1996,

p97). In Arabic, for instance the word „‫‟حقيبة‬has distinctive implications which could be

deciphered accurately relying upon the setting where it is utilized, for example, „‫‟حقييبة سفر‬

71
Chapter Two: Semantics and Polysemy

refers to a traveling bag (suitcase), „‫ ‟حقيبة طبيب‬Doctor's suitcase, „‫‟حقيبة لنساء‬Which refers

to a bag,. Subsequently, this semantic concept could be a terrible obstacle for the translator

to choose the correct sense among the different meanings of a given polysemic word.

According to As-Suyüti (1971) the polysemy contributes in improving the language, and

makes it more capable to describe what happens around us.

2.1.1.3. Homonymy

Homonymy are less well-known terms which are often used to connect between the

linguistic units in a language. According to Yule (1996, p. 97) “The term homonymy is

used when one form (written and spoken) has two or more unrelated meanings” it means

that homonymy refers to different words sharing the same name. For example, “the pairs

bank (of a river) - bank (financial institution), bat (flying creature) - bat (used in sports),

race (contest of speed) - race (ethnic group), pupil (at school) pupil (in the eye) and mole

(on skin) - mole (small animal)” (ibid).

Homonymy are two words that do not share the same structure or grammar, there

are two types of homonymy: homography and homophony. Homographs: They are words

that have different meaning and pronunciation but they share the same meaning such as

„bark-bark‟. Homophones: They have different meaning and spelling but they have the

same pronunciation, such as: „write-right‟ (Jaszczolt 2002).Homonymy is viewed as a

vague phenomenon, the problem occurs when words and expressions have multiple

meaning but they are not synonyms.

2.1.1.4. The distinction between Polysemy and Homonymy

Polysemy and homonymy looks similar, to make it easier, polysemy are words with

similar meaning and form, in other word, polysemy is defined as one form with several

02
Chapter Two: Semantics and Polysemy

meaning, just as it is stated by Jaszczolt (2002), there is a collections of a lot of meanings

which go to the identical word and that what is called polysemy. Homonyms are multiple

words that sound the same. According to Yule (1996, p97):

The distinction between homonymy and polysemy is not always clear cut.

However, one indication of the distinction can be found in the typical dictionary

entry for words. If a word has multiple meanings (polysemic), then there will be a

single entry, with a numbered list of the different meanings of the word. If two

words are treated as homonyms, they will typically have two separate entries. You

could check in your dictionary and probably find that the different meanings of

words like head, get, run, face and foot are treated as examples of polysemy,

whereas mail, bank, sole and mole are treated as examples of homonymy.

Dictionaries help us to differentiate between polysemy and homonymy. Polysemy

words can be sited only in one entry while homonymy requires different entries. As

opposed to Yule, Palmer (1976) confirms that the problem of this difference cannot be

treated by dictionary makers because their decision in making entries seems to be

subjective.

There are words that are derived from similar origins are considered as homonyms

because they do not have the same meaning, such as “face of clock, foot of a bed, ear of a

corn” (Palmer, 1976, p.66), they are metaphors and polysemous, but some linguists

consider them as homonyms because there is no relation between the face and the clock.

He explained that “intuitively it is clear enough which is the literal sense, and our intuition

are supported by the fact that the whole set of words applies only to the body; only some of

them can be transferred to the relevant object- the clock has no legs, the bed no hands, the

chair no tongue” (ibid).

07
Chapter Two: Semantics and Polysemy

But sometimes there exist some homonyms that share the same original form, for

example, „see‟ and „sea‟. They are considered the same words and this is impossible

because they are written in different ways. That is to say, lexicographers should take in

consideration the form rather than single origin of the word (ibid).

2.1.1.5. Translation and Polysemy

One of the main problems that arises when talking about the differences between English

and Arabic is: lexis. The lexical problem of polysemy is a usually faced by translators from

English to Arabic. To Armstrong (2005), polysemy is the cause of multiplicity in meaning

in languages. He also states that the translation problem here is that we need to pay greater

attention to the exact sense of the word; it is to be concluded from the syntactic field it is

found. He suggested the following examples:

(1) enfant mâle: „Ils ont trois filles et un garçon‟ = „boy‟

(2) homme célibataire: „A cinquante ans il est toujours garçon‟ = „bachelor‟

(3) jeune ouvrier travaillant chez un patron artisan: „garçon épicier‟, etc = „boy‟,

„apprentice‟

(4) [jeune] homme „Il est sympa, ce garçon‟ = „lad‟, „bloke‟, „chap‟ … (Armstrong, 2005,

p.85)

As it is shown in these examples, Armstrong sited the equivalent of the French

word „garçon‟ in English, hence, to translate any polysemous word, the translator must

choose the correct meaning of the sentence.

Talking about near-synonyms, which are polysemous words, he says that” near-

synonymy happens when the meaning of two words belongs to the same semantic area

(Armstrong, 2005). In such a case, the co-text in addition to selection restrictions are two

hints that will help selecting the exact meaning of every polysemic word. Selection

00
Chapter Two: Semantics and Polysemy

restrictions are a semantic tool that helps preventing deviant productions i.e. irregular

expressions.

Armstrong illustrates the two words „Pas‟ and „Marche‟ which are used in Lodge et

al (1997). These two synonyms are considered as polysemes.

„Pas‟= marche; étape; enjambée; démarche ; danse…

„Marche‟= pas ; chanson militaire ; moyen ; fonctionnement… (Armstrong, 2005,

p. 86)

Armstrong (ibid), stated that the use of „pas‟ and „marche‟ rely on which context they are

used in, and in these examples „Elle s‟avançait d‟une marche/ d‟un pas hésitant (e)” (ibid),

they seems to be as near-synonyms.

The speaker needs to follow the selection restrictions closely in order to not to fall

in the anomalous. As an example: „My shoes are breathing‟ this clause is correct

syntacticly speaking but irregular semanticly speaking. It will be helpful in the selection of

the polysemous words.

Something else, Armstrong speaks about the differences found from one language to

another when doing the selection restrictions (ibid). He sums up saying that selectional

restrictions do not resolve the appropriate meaning selection problem of polysemous words

since they are context dependent.

The English linguist Ghazala (1995) Proposes several solution to solve this issue,

he informs translators to be careful that there are words that have multiple meanings. And

this this multiplicity is the most cause of translation issues, because most of translators

may know only one meaning of the word and replace it by its equivalent in the target

language.

02
Chapter Two: Semantics and Polysemy

For example, as we all know that the meaning of the verb „break‟ is to separate

things into different parts, „‫ ‟كسَر‬is the equivalent of this verb in Arabic, and „‫ ‟تكسير‬as a

noun as it is shown in the following examples, The„word „break‟ has different significant:

"(1) the strong weather has broken at last, ‫انتهى الجو العاصف اخيرا‬

(2) The dawn breaks at 5 o‟clock every day, ‫( يبزغ الفجر عند الساعة الخامسة كل يوم‬Ghazala,

1995, p.100).

We notice that the word break has more than one meaning, that‟s why he suggested

some solutions that may be helpful for translators to make the process of translation easier.

So, the translator must bear in mind that exists some words that have several meaning such

as polysemy, where the use of dictionaries can be the easiest way to check the sense of

each word, moreover, translators should choose the equivalent meaning of words and if

they feel that the translation seems meaningless, they have to look to the context where the

word is used. “The context can also be decisive in guessing the more likely meaning of a

polysemous Word” (ibid, p. 103).

2.1.1.6. Lexical Ambiguity and Polysemy

Lexical ambiguity and polysemy are two terms that share the same features and

they refer to ambiguity and uncertainty, because they are words that have multiple

meanings. Stockwell (2007, p.14), defined this two concepts as "two or more sharply

distinct meanings for a string of words"

The linguistic term „lexical ambiguity‟ refers to the ability of words to have several

meanings, taking the example of „bank‟ which can be interpreted differently; it can be a

“financial institution” or an “edge of a river.”

In other words, it is the ability of words and expressions to have more than one

meaning, as it is indicated by Stockwell (ibid) “the simplest type of ambiguity is a lexical

02
Chapter Two: Semantics and Polysemy

ambiguity, which results merely from the existence of two different meanings for a single

word.” The context plays an important role; it helps the translator to guess the correct

meaning of words.

Students can find these lexical ambiguities in dictionaries and they will be lost in

finding the equivalent words and definitions of some linguistic items, and the only way to

solve this problem is the context, because it helps to decide which appropriate meaning to

choose, especially, when it comes to polysemy as well as homonymy.

Weinreich‟s (1964), distinguishes between the two sorts of lexical ambiguity, where he

stated that, the „Contrastive lexical ambiguity‟, is the situation In which words, sentences

and expresions are connected with more than two irrelevant meanings, while

complementary ambiguity must described in a purely formal analysis.

The words polysemy and polysemous are known by more than one sense; the

existence of multiple meanings for a single linguistic item. According to As Deane (1988,

p.327-345), “In effect, the three types form a gradient between total semantic identity and

total semantic distinctness”, this means that Polysemy is seems to be the central way in

between ambiguity and uncertainty, “Polysemy seems somehow to straddle the border

between identity and distinctness.”(ibid). Polysemy contributes for the emergence of

lexical ambiguity, Murphy and Koskela (2010), propose that lexical ambiguity comes from

polysemy.

Most of linguists defined polysemy as different meaning related to a single form.

Lexical ambiguity and polysemy are considered as synonyms, they share the same feature

because both of them in relation to context, can give more than one meaning. Moreover, it

is so hard to differentiate between these two concepts because mainly they have common

points, like multiplicity in meaning and ambiguity.

02
Chapter Two: Semantics and Polysemy

1.3. The role of bilingual dictionaries

Dictionaries contribute in improving vocabulary because it gives learners lot of

information that helps them to understand difficult words; dictionary is an effective method

for learning a foreign language. As indicated by Pousi (2010), to learn a certain language

we must know about its vocabulary.

Most of students prefer having bilingual dictionaries because they are much more effective

than the monolingual dictionary, according to Bejoint & Moulin (1987), bilingual

dictionaries are useful and helpful than any other kind of dictionaries.

The majority of students opt for bilingual dictionaries to translation the difficult

words (See Lew, 2004). Huge amount of people prefer the bilingual dictionary because of

its different definitions that are founded “on the most general principle of any acquisition

of knowledge: one relies on the knowledge already possessed in order to learn something

new” (Piotrowski, 1994, p.77).

Despite the fact that bilingual dictionaries have many advantages, however,

dictionary makers find difficulty in categorising words especially when it comes to words

that have a lot of meanings such as polysemy. Moreover, some items have several

meanings and they may have several adequate words in the target language. As a result of

that, it is possible to find a single items of the source language have different meanings in

the target language.

Conclusion

One of the main issues that arise when talking about problems of translation is

„polysemy‟. This phenomenon is defined as the ability of words to have multiple

meanings. It exists in all languages. Translators encounter this problem when translating

from English into Arabic. Bilingual dictionaries are one tool that may solve the problem of

02
Chapter Two: Semantics and Polysemy

ambiguity, but sometimes bilingual dictionaries are not helpful, because they contain a

very limited number of words and information that may not give the actual equivalent of

the given word. In this case taking the context into consideration helps translators to

succeed in selecting the appropriate meaning of words.

01
Chapter Three: Data Analysis

Introduction

The purpose of this study is to explore two hypotheses which are that If second year

English Master degree learners of English language and linguistics at Abd Elhamid Ibn

Badis university consider the context, they will choose the right meaning of polysemous

words, and that if the learners do know the different senses of the polysemic word, they

will translate it effectively in various contexts.

3.1. Sample

The subjects of the present research are the second year English Master degree

learners of English language and linguistics at Abd Elhamid Ibn Badis university. The

subjects are picked arbitrarily. The choice of this specimen is because they have already

dealt with polysemy and have practised translation for a period of more than four years.

3.2. Research Tools

A questionnaire was utilized to gather information and to test the legitimacy of the

speculation. We picked up a random group of second year Master degree learners of

English language and linguistics at Abd Elhamid Ibn Badis University and we gave them

the questionnaire.

3.2.1. Questionnaire

It is the main research instrument which is utilized as the principle part of this

examination work. it aims at analyzing students’ knowledge about polysemy and context.

3.2.1.1. Description of the Questionnaire

The questionnaire comprises of ten inquiries; it is separated into two areas. Most of

the questions were about the context and polysemy and the rest questions were about

translation in general.

28
Chapter Three: Data Analysis

3.2.1.2. Analysis of the Questionnaire

Question one: Have you any idea about what we call ‘the context’?

Yes No

The aim of this question is to see whether the subjects know ‘the context’ or not,

and whether they rely on it in their translation.

Answer Number percentage

Yes 22 88%

No 3 12%

Total 25 100%

Table 1: Students’ awareness about Context

Table 1 demonstrates that 88% of the subjects state that they recognized what

setting is, this means that they take the context into consideration in their translation. 12%

of the subjects, 3 students said they do not know it.

Yes No

12%

88%

Figure 1: Students ‘awareness about Context

Question two: What do you prefer? Translating words in isolation or in context?

In isolation in context

29
Chapter Three: Data Analysis

The target of this question is to see whether the subjects interpret words in isolation

or they rely on the context which helps them to choose the correct meaning of words.

Answer Number Percentage

In isolation 3 12%

In context 21 84%

No answer 1 4%

Total 25 100%

Table 2: Students’ use of the context in translation

The outcomes in table 2 demonstrate that 84% of the students thought that the

context facilitate the process of translation; it might be on the grounds that the context

helped them to choose the suitable significance of words. Notwithstanding, 12% asserted

that deciphering words in isolation was so workable than relying upon setting. 4% of the

subjects ignore this question.

In Isolation In context No answer

4%

12%

84%

Figure 2: Students’ use of the context in translation

Question three: ‘Actions speak louder than words’ can you translate this sentence?

The aim of this question was to assess the student' translation of this question ‘Actions

speak louder than words’

30
Chapter Three: Data Analysis

Translation Number Percentage

Correct 13 52%

Inexact 10 40%

No Translation 2 8%

Total 25 100%

Table 3: Students’ translation of the sentence

The outcomes in table 3 demonstrate that, despite of the fact that the sentence

seems ambiguous, most of the students translated the sentence correctly, because they took

the context into consideration during translation, besides, 40% of those who don’t rely on

the context failed in translating the sentence, and 8% gave no translation; possibly they

didn't comprehend the sentence significance.

Accurate Inaccurate No traslation

8%

52%
40%

Figure 3: Students’ translation of the sentence

Question four: Do you practice translation?

Yes No

Translation is a mean of communication and it’s so helpful in exchanging knowledge

between people, in this question students were asked whether they practice it or no.

31
Chapter Three: Data Analysis

Answer Number percentage

Yes 25 100%

No 0 0%

Total 25 100%

Table 4: Student’s practice of translation

As it is shown in the table 4, most of students enjoy in practicing translation

because they like knowing different meanings of words in more than one language, this

facilitate communication between people and helps them to acquire new thing.

100%
Yes

Figure 4: Student’s practice of translation

Question five: Have you any difficulties with translation?

Yes No

The aim of this question is to know whether face circumstances during translation.

Answer Number Percentage

Yes 23 92%

No 2 8%

Total 25 100%

Table 5: Students’ Difficulties in Translation

32
Chapter Three: Data Analysis

As it is shown above a most of students encounter difficulties in translation, and

only 2 students out of 25 said that can translate easily without any problem this because

according to them they read a lot.

No
8%

Yes
92%

Figure 5: Students’ Difficulties in Translation

Question six: what kind of problems that you face during translation?

1. Grammatical problems

2. Lexical problems

3. Elaborate problems

The goal of this question is to know at which level students find difficulty during

translation.

Answer Number Percentage

Grammatical problems 5 20%

Lexical problems 15 60%

Elaborate problems 5 20%

total 25 100%

Table 6: Students’ problems during translation

The outcomes in table 6 shows that half of the subjects have problem in lexis

during translation, in other way, they have problems with meaning, 20% of the subjects

33
Chapter Three: Data Analysis

have some issues with the connection between sentences and the rest of the subjects face

problems with last category that is shown in the table 6.

Grammatical Problems Lexical Problems

Elaborate Problems

20% 20%

60%

Figure6: Students’ problems during translation

Question seven: How do you see you self in translation?

1. Excellent

2. Good

3. Average

4. Bad

This question aims at knowing whether the level of the student have an impact on

their translation or not.

Answer Number Percentage

Excellent 0 0%

Good 11 44%

Average 12 48%

Bad 2 8%

Total 25 100%

Table 7: Students’ level in translation

34
Chapter Three: Data Analysis

Students’ level has an important impact in their translation, if the student is good or

excellent this means that he has more knowledge than other students. According the table 7

we see that there are 48% of the subjects have an average level in translation which seems

normal because nobody can be perfect in translation regardless to specialists, 44% have a

good level in translation, and finally, 2 students confess that they are bad in translation.

Bad Excellent
8% 0%

Good
44%

Average
48%

Figure7: Students’ level in translation

Question eight: Have you ever encounter polysemous words during translation?

Yes No

This question was given to students to see wether they have encounter and heard

about polysemy or not.

Answer Number Percentage

Students who encounter 20 80%

polysemous words

Students who do not 5 20%

encounter polysemous

words

Total 25 100%

Table 8: Student’s relation with polysemy

The result shows that The vast majority of the subjects 80% have problems with

those words that have multiple meaning and they have worked on them, and just 20% that

35
Chapter Three: Data Analysis

they never encounter such kinds of words. It may be because they don’t practice too much

translation.

Students who
don't know
about
polysemy
20%

Students who
know about
polysemy
80%

Figure 8: Student’s relation with polysemy

Question nine: Do you use dictionaries to translate ambiguous words like polysemy?

Yes No

This question aims at knowing whether students check the meaning of words from

the dictionary or not.

Answer Number Percentage

Yes 14 56%

No 8 32%

No Answer 3 12%

Total 25 100%

Table 9: Using the Dictionary for Translating Polysemous Words

As it is shown in the table nine that the majority of student check the meaning of

difficlut words using dictionaries, and mainly when it comes to some words that have

several meanings, according to them dictionaries solve this problem and ambiguity, there

36
Chapter Three: Data Analysis

are other students who skipped this question, and there are others who said no 32% they

cannot rely only on dictionaries in translating polysemous words.

Yes No No Answer

12%

32%

58%

Figure9: Using the Dictionary for Translating Polysemous Words

Question 10: do you prefer relying on context or using bilingual dictionaries in translating

polysemous words?

1- Context

2- Bilingual dictionaries

This question is devoted to student to see how they deal with difficult meaning in

translating them, whether they use dictionaries or taking the context into consideration

Answer Number Percentage

Context 20 80%

Bilingual dictionaries 5 20%

Total 25 100%

Table 10: Students’ ways of translating polysemous words

The result shown above demonstrates that 80% of students prefer taking the context

into consideration because it disambiguates meanings especially when it comes to words

that have more than one meaning like polyselous words, and only 20% choose the

37
Chapter Three: Data Analysis

bilingual dictionaries. It is because they do not provide us the appropriate meaning of

words and because they are limited.

Bilingual
dictionaries
20%

Context
80%

Figure 10: Students’ way of translating polysemous words

Summary of the findings

To conclude, the outcome of the questionnaire is as follows :

- The majority of the individuals said they liked to translate pretty much.

- A lot of students found it hard to translate, precisely when it comes to lexis.

- The majority faced polysemy for the first time.

- The majority did know what context is.

- Few questions and phrases were not answered to or translated.

- For most of the students it was easier to translate in accordance to the context rather

than the word by word translation.

- Dictionaries were helpful with polysemous words for most of the individuals.

- The majority said that now they truly believe that dictionaries are a must when

dealing with polysemous words.

38
Chapter Three: Data Analysis

Conclusion:

To sum up, the outcomes of the survey corroborates our hypothesis that second year

Master degree learners of English language and linguistics at Abd Elhamid Ibn Badis

University consider context as a predominant help to select the correct polysemous words.

In addition, it is a proof that knowing the various meanings of a polysemous word makes

the translation successful. However, the questioned individuals can sometimes get the

general meanings of words and not the secondary ones.

Most of the students get delighted when translating , but lexical difficulties stand as a

barrier to their success.

 In the light of what have been said, we recommend :

1. Studying the difficulties in translation is crucial for learners.

2. Lexical difficulties should be taken into consideration.

3. Teachers should commit themselves into teaching how to face Errors/ mistakes

in translation.

4. Translation from English to Arabic is a must to teach.

5. Translating polysemous words in accordance to the context should be taught.

6. Learners need to know what is polysemy to be able to face any difficulties

when translating.

7. Learners need to equip themselves with a large set of vocabulary items.

8. Practising translation is the key to learn new polysemic words.

9. Knowing the most recurrent problems in translation and their solutions is of a

great help in the field of translation.

39
 General conclusion

A translation problem is anything that stands between the student and the

completion of the translation process. It makes the translator check and recheck his work to

get to the point of success. Many problems arise to the students when translating, these

problems may be grammatical, lexical, stylistic, or phonological.

This survey work was done to get a deeper view on the impact of “context” in

translation from English to Arabic when it comes to polysemous words. The main

objective of this work is the lexical problems, problems at the word level, and polysemous

words.

We assumed that the “context” is of a prime importance to second year master

degree students of English Language and Linguistics at Abdelhamid Ibn Badis university

to overcome the difficulties made by the ambiguity of polysemous words, and provide a

successful translation.

In order to test our assumptions, a questionnaire was given to a random group of

second year Master degree learners of English Language and Linguistics at Abd Elhamid

Ibn Badis University, to answer ten questions about what they know about the importance

of “context” when doing a translation work including polysemous words and to prove that

knowing the different meanings of the polysemous words is of a great help in translation.

The outcomes confirm the research assumption. Polysemy creates difficulties in

translation, it is considered as a complicated linguistic phenomenon. The context helps

those students who know only the core meaning of the word to discover the hidden

meanings of these linguistic items. For most of the students it was easier to translate in

accordance to the context rather than the word by word translation. In addition, the context

helps students to have an accurate translation because it disambiguates polysemous words.

40
 General conclusion

At last, students must bear in mind that every English word can be used in many

different contexts (the case of polysemy). Learners need to know what polysemy is to be

able to face any difficulties when translating. They must take the context into consideration

in distinguishing between meanings, because it is a helpful tool to make an accurate

translation. Students must put in their minds, when they fail to understand the meaning of a

word in a given context, that there is another meaning carried by the word other than its

common one, even if it is a familiar word.

41
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44
Appendix Questionnaire

Dear colleagues,

We will be very grateful if you answer the following questions. So, please tick (√)

next to your choice or write in the space provided.

1. Have you any idea about what we call ‘the context’?

Yes No

If yes could you please give it a brief definition?

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………

2. What do you prefer? Translating words in isolation or in context?

In isolation in context

3. ‘Actions speak louder than words’ can you translate this sentence?

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

……………

Why did you choose this answer? Did you rely on context?

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

………………

45
Appendix Questionnaire

4. Do you practice translation?

Yes No

Could you please justify your answer?

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

……Have you any difficulties with translation?

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

………………

5. What kind of problems that you face during translation?

1. Grammatical problems

2. Lexical problems

3. Elaborate problems

7. How do you see you self in translation?

1. Excellent

2. Good

3. Average

4. Bad

8. Have you ever encounter polysemous words during translation?

Yes No

46
Appendix Questionnaire

9. Do you use dictionaries to translate ambiguous words like polysemy?say

why?

Yes No

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

………………

10- Do you prefer relying on context or using bilingual dictionaries in

translating polysemous words?

1. Context

2. Bilingual dictionaries

Justify your answer.

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………

………………

47